Chapter 33

33

J en

I’m pacing. I can’t help it. I’ve chewed all of my nails right down to the quick.

Natalia is curled up on the sofa; she’s fast asleep. I can’t blame her. We watched several movies. At least, I tried to watch, but how do I concentrate on anything when Steel is out there somewhere? When he is putting himself in danger for me?

Natalia is right; if anything happens to him, it’ll be on me. I wish I could do something. Anything. Better yet, I wish I could have gone with him. We have a better chance of convincing them if they hear what I have to say.

I keep pacing. I check the clock and it’s five in the morning. Where is he? He’s been gone for ages. He should have been back by now, for sure. Something has happened.

I turn my eyes to Natalia’s sleeping form. I take a step toward her. I’m going to wake her up. I need to find out what the hell is going on.

Before I can take a second step, there is a knock at the door.

I cry out in relief and spin back to the door. “Come in!” I practically shout.

Natalia stirs on the sofa. She sits up. “What is it?” she says in a groggy voice.

Roscoe walks in. It’s five in the morning, but he’s fully dressed in one of his signature suits. “Morning.” He’s frowning.

I swallow down the lump that has formed in my throat. “What is it? Where is he? Why isn’t he here? He should be back by now. What the hell is going on?” I force myself to stop talking. My chest is heaving. It feels like I can’t catch my breath.

“You should sit.”

“No! Just tell me already!” I yell at him. “Tell me.” I step from one foot to the other, unable to keep still.

“Steel tried to speak with the king, but the bastard obviously didn’t like what he had to say because he had him arrested. Steel is sitting in a holding cell as we speak.”

“They can’t do that,” I say; my voice sounds foreign. It’s too high-pitched.

“Of course they can. There’s a bounty on his head,” Natalia says as she comes to stand with us.

“But he turned himself in. He went there on his own steam.”

Roscoe shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. They clearly don’t believe his intentions were good. They don’t believe him, period. He’s rotting behind bars.”

“I’m going to the palace,” I tell them. “I’m going to explain what happened. I’m going to set the record straight. I’ll come clean about everything. All of it. They’ll have to let him go.”

“Nope, that’s not going to happen,” Roscoe says. “Steel tasked me with your safety, and I can’t let him down.”

“What about Steel? Are we just going to leave him there? Are we going to sit around and do nothing?”

Roscoe has this faraway look, like he’s thinking things through. He rubs his chin. “I don’t know what to do, exactly. This isn’t a regular situation. The palace is not the right place for you right now. There’s too much going on. You would be at risk.”

“Like what?” There is a desperate edge to my voice.

He gets this pinched look. “That Draiger who was found on our soil…”

“Yes?” I say when he doesn’t go on.

“The one they arrested and took into custody with the Red female?” Natalia asks.

“You said they’d used that tunnel that was supposed to be closed,” I add.

“That’s him.” He nods. “Well, he’s being beheaded this morning. Word is that he tried to kill the general. Quite frankly, I wish he’d succeeded,” Roscoe mutters. “So, you see, it’s a shitshow at the palace at the moment. No place for a human.”

“I’m going. You can’t stop me.” I start to walk to the door, but Natalia hooks an arm around my waist, locking me in place.

I try to get out of her grip, but she’s freaking strong. She’s a dragon shifter, after all. How the heck do I compete with these people?

I can’t!

“Let me go! Let me go right now!” I yell; my voice is gruff with anger and determination. “I have to go. They have to listen to me.”

“Actually, they don’t. They probably won’t,” Roscoe says.

“Steel is locked up because of me. They believe he kidnapped me and that he killed someone in cold blood. They’re not going to be so lenient this time. Ice isn’t going to save him. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were two beheadings this morning instead of just one. Think about it.”

Natalia lets me go so abruptly that I almost fall on my face. Roscoe reaches out and grabs me, letting me go as soon as I find my feet.

“Shit,” he says. His eyes cloud with thought. “The human has a point.”

“Yep, you do have a point,” Natalia groans. “I wish you were wrong, but you’re spot on. We should never have let him go in the first place. Steel was almost convicted of treason a few years ago, and now this. They won’t go lightly on him this time.”

I have to hold back tears. I can’t cry. I need to keep it together. I need to save Steel. I have to get Arctic, Frost…any of them to listen to me. “What are we waiting for?” I start toward the door.

Roscoe puts a hand on my shoulder.

“What now?” I snap.

“I’m going with you,” he says.

“Me, too,” Natalia adds.

Roscoe makes a noise like he’s thinking things through. “Come to think of it, Steel has made a lot of friends since coming to work at The Pit.”

“He sure has,” Natalia nods.

“A lot of fans, too,” he adds. “I’m going to put the word out. I think we should invite anyone who will come. We need to make some noise. We’ll head to the castle and demand that you be heard. Demand that Steel be released. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“He’s a respectable male,” Natalia says.

“A trustworthy citizen of Mistveil,” Roscoe adds.

I can’t hold back the tear that rolls down my cheek. “Thank you.” I feel the barest hint of relief. At least I finally get to do something.

Steel

I’m lying on a thin mattress, staring up at the white ceiling between the walls and bars of my cell, trying to stay calm and failing.

Arctic doesn’t believe me.

Of course he doesn’t. I was fucking stupid to think otherwise after what happened to Anya. After what I did. I had started to believe that perhaps I could cut myself a modicum of slack. Not enough to ever forget or to ever completely forgive myself, but enough to carry on. To move forward with my life. Because I’ve been stuck in stasis. At least, I was up until I met Jen.

Someone clears their throat outside the cell. Probably one of the guards making their rounds.

It happens again. “Steel,” a male whispers.

I jump up. “Rex?” The male still has fading bruises on his face. He walks with a slight limp. Someone beat him up really badly. That someone wasn’t me.

He hushes me, looking down the hallway. “I only have a minute,” he whispers.

I go over to the bars and grab them. “Why are you lying?” I whisper back.

He looks down the hallway again. I realize that he looks concerned, scared even. His eyes are wide. His hands are shaking.

“I wanted to apologize while I could. I’m so sorry I lied. I’m sorry I took Jen. That you are taking the fall for something I did.”

“You have to tell them. You have to do the right thing and set the record straight.”

He looks to his left and to his right. “I can’t,” he whispers, his voice hitching. “It would be a death sentence. They might kill me anyway.”

“Why did you do it? I thought you liked Jen.”

“I do. I think she’s the best.” He licks his lips. “I know it’s wrong. I know it was wrong of me, but, you see, I was promised a female. I was told I would get one of the first Tributes if I went along with it. I was promised a promotion, too. Told that Jen would be safe. That she would get to go home. That her family would get the money. That it was all for her protection.”

“That’s bullshit,” I whisper.

“I know that now, but I believed him. I believed them.”

I have no doubt that he is talking about Ice and the lieutenant. I leave him to talk.

“I didn’t know that they were going to kill Ash. That’s the other guard I was with. Then I heard he was dead, that they were blaming you.” He hardly looks at me. His eyes shift from left to right. They are glistening with unshed tears. “They took it too fucking far. It wasn’t meant to go down like that. It’s not what I agreed to.” He’s talking fast. His voice is a little high-pitched. He’s terrified. “I had to come. To apologize.”

“Who made you these promises?”

“I have to go.” He starts to walk. “I’m sorry.”

“Wait!” I whisper. “Who orchestrated this? Who was it?” I need to hear him say it.

“Ice. And if he catches me here, I’m as good as dead. I think he might kill me, anyway. I’m a loose end.” Then he’s gone.

That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m a loose end, too. As long as Jen is safe. As long as she’s okay, I’ll take whatever comes my way.